Disposable body drainage receiver

ABSTRACT

A body drainage receiver in the form of a disposable liner for a canister to receive drainage from the body of a patient, where drainage is indicated as the result of severe wounding, surgery performed, or other reasons, the liner being disposable either with or without its accumulated drainage after a single usage, the canister and cover therefor being reusable with a new liner, the cover of the canister being connected to a vacuum or suction system to stimulate drainage from the patient.

United States Paten [151 3,7 4 Sorenson et al. [45] Dec. 5, 1972 154] DISPOSABLE BODY DRAINAGE 3,363,626 l/ 1968 Bidwell et a] ..'.128/276 RECEIVER 3,542,031 11/1970 Taylor 128/276 [72] Inventors: James L Summon, Gordon S 3,556,101 l/197l Economou 128/277 Reynolds Karl A pgmnier Jr i 3,199,277 8/1965 Moody ..l5/347 of Salt a Cit Utah I 1,613,250 1/1927 Spielman ..15/347 1 3,089,493 5/1963 Galindo ...128/283 [73] Assignee: LeVoys, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah Primai'y Examiner-Charles F. Rosenbaum [22] Sept 1970 Att0rney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson [21] Appl. No.: 70,755 I e 57] ABSTRACT [52 u.s'. C1 ..128/277 A y drainage reeeiver in the form er a diepeeehle [51] Int. Cl. ..A61m 1/00 liner for canister to receive drainage from thc 5s 1 Field of Search ..15/347; of a Patient, Where drainage is indicated as the result 128075478 297 3O0 of severe wounding, surgery performed, or other reasons, the liner being disposable either with or without its accumulated drainage after a single usage, [56.] References Cited the canister and cover therefor being reusable with :1 UNITED STATES PATENTS new liner, the cover of the canister being connected to 2 936 757 5/1960 Trace 128/276 a vacuum or suction system to stimulate drainage from 7 n I e u t' t. 3,032,037- 5/1962 Huber ..128/276 e pa *8 I 3,186,410 6/ 1965 Buono ..128/275 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 DISPOSABLE BODY DRAINAGE RECEIVER CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The instant drainage receiver or canister liner is of the general type of liner used in the Vacuum Drainage Collecting Apparatus With Disposable Liner set forth and claimed in our copending application for patent filed Nov. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 778,963, but is of a far more economical construction than the liner disclosed, described, and claimed in the aforesaid application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention or discovery relates to a simple and economical form of open topped flexible liner for disposition in a canister to collect suction induced drainage from the body of a patient, the top of the liner being closable after accumulating a predetermined quantity of drainage and is disposable after a single usage either with the drainage therein or after being emptied. The canister and its cover are reusable time after time. The instant liner is highly desirable for use in emergencies, in institutions or treatment centers operating upon a low budget, and in circumstances where the drainage from the body of the'patient contains a minimum of contagious or infectious bacteria or virus. By the use of the instant disposable liner, labor on the part of the hospital personnel is materially. reduced, use of the sterilization equipment is practically eliminated, and the hazard of infection is reduced to a minimum.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a central vertical sectional view, with parts in elevation, illustrating a liner embodying the principles of the instant invention in operative position within a canister; V

FIG. 2 is a reduced elevational view of the liner containing drainage after removal from the canister;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a liner of a somewhat different form but also embodying principles of the invention, in operative position within a canister;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a liner of still different form in operative position within the canister; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the liner of FIG. 4 after removal from the canister.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS All the illustrated embodiments of the instant invention are shown associated with a canister 1, which is preferably made of rigid transparent plastic material, open at the top, and closed at the bottom as indicated at 4 for snap-on airtight engagement over the open top end of the canister. The cover 3 is provided with a tubular fitting 5 disposed over an opening 6 in the cover,

which fitting may be connected to a tube leading from the body of a patient and through which drainage may enter the liner disposed within the canister l. The cover also is provided with a' tubular fitting 7 extending therethrough to a desired extent, but which fitting should terminate above the highest level to which the liner is filled with drainage. This fitting 7 may be connected to a tube leading to a vacuum or suction system. A receiver or liner 8 is disposed within the canister l, and this liner is preferably of transparent thermoplastic material so that parts may be heat sealed together in its manufacture. The liner is open at the topbut closed at the bottom. In the liner 8, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a thermoplastic band 9 encircles the top portion of the liner the band being shaped to accommodate a draw string 10 extending between the band and the liner. The free ends of the draw string may extend between the liner and canister as seen in FIG. 1, while drainage is being collected in the liner. The liner 8 is flexible, substantially transparent, and may be packed for shipment in a substantially flat condition. By way ofexample, the liner may well be made from relatively thin polyvinyl chloride sheeting, although other satisfactory heat sealable thermoplastics are well known in the art. For all practical purposes, the liner is not stretchable.

When the liner is put into use, it is expanded to a reasonable extent by hand and inserted in the canister 1. It will be noted in the instance of FIG. 1, the liner terminates short of the canister cover 3 so that there is open communication of thesuction line fitting 7 with the interior of the liner and also with the interior of the canister outside of the liner, so that the vacua inside the canister but outside the liner and inside the liner are countervailed, thus maintaining the liner in expanded condition and also providing adequate suction through the fitting 5 to the patients body. If suction or vacuum were applied to the interior of the canister only and outside of the liner, the liner would expand to its fullest extent and there then would be no suction to the body of the patient. If the suction is applied to the interior of the liner only and not to the interior of the canister outside the liner as well, the liner would collapse. Consequently, some provision for countervailing of the two vacua must be present,as more fully pointed out in our aforesaid copending application. After the liner has 'been properly positioned in the canister, the cover is snapped over the canister and a tube leading from the patients body is connected to the fitting 5 while a tube leading to a suction or vacuum system is connected to the tube 7 externally of the cover 3. When suction is started, drainage from the patients body will enter through the fitting 5 and collect within the liner 8, and suction through the fitting 7 will maintain the liner expanded and a proper amount of suction will be effective on the body of the patient. After the liner has been filled to a partial extent or to the predetermined high level, the cover 3 is removed from the canister, set aside for a moment, the liner is lifted from the canister and closed at the top by pulling on the ends of the draw string 10 and the draw string may then be wrapped around the compressed closure 11 and tied securely. The liner and its contents may then be disposed of or, in some circumstances, it may be desired to empty the liner, in which event the liner may be held inverted by a bail 12 on the bottom thereof, the draw string loosened,

previously described liner 8, but which is made longer so that the upper marginal portion of the liner is folded over the rim of the canister and held down by the flange 4 on the canister cover. With'this construction it is necessary to provide one or more apertures in the upper portion of the liner, as indicated at 15, in order to acquire the countervailing of the vacua inside the liner and inside the canister but outside the liner. Such aperture or apertures will, of course, be well above the highest level to which the liner is filled with drainage. The liner 13 may be equipped with a draw string in the same manner as the liner 8, but that draw string or any other type of closure means must be below the aperture or apertures 15 so there will not be accidental leakage of drainage from the liner after-it is removed from the canister and closed at the top.

in F lGS 4 and we have shown another form of liner 16 which differs from the liners previously described only at the upper end thereof. In this instance, the upper marginal portion of the liner is reversely folded inwardly as indicated at 17 to provide a double thickness in this region and support complemental plastic fastening elements 18 and 19 each heat sealed to the double top portion of the liner and each extend ing substantially halfway around the liner. The fastening element 18 has a pair of confronting marginal portions 2020 defining a groove just to the rear thereof; while the fastening element 19 is in the form of a projection 21 that may readily be pressed into the groove in the strip 18 by the fingers of the operator, and the engagement is liquid tight. These fastening elements 18 and 19 are generally of the type disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,172,443 issued Mar. 9, 1965 entitled Plastic Fastener.

With the liner 16, it is a simple expedient to lift it out of the canister and pinch the fastening elements together with the fingers to close the full or partially full liner. During use, countervailing of the vacua in the liner and in the canister outside the liner is readily accomplished because of the open upper end of the liner.

The embodiments of the liners set forth hereinabove are all extremely economical, both to manufacture and use.

The invention claimed is:

l. A collecting assembly for drainage from the body of a patient including a reuseable canister, a removable reuseable cover for airtight disposition on said canister, a tube extending through said cover for connection to a source of suction, a fitting opening through said cover for connection to the body of a patient, wherein the improvement comprises,

a disposable liner of flexible material having a closed bottom and a fully open top when in use for receiving drainage,

said liner establishing communication between the 33% Siaifilfbiil'? $53323; "fefiirl if countervailed and the liner is maintained in expanded condition thereby,

the top of said linerextending above the inner end of a said tube connecting to the source of suction, and

closure means carried by said liner to close the open top of'the liner after usage. v

2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the upper margin of the liner is folded downwardly over the upper riin of the canister beneath the cover therefor, and

said liner having an opening in the wall thereof above the highest level to which the liner is filled with drainage to establish communication with the interior of the canister outside the liner for vacua countervailing.

3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the closing means for the top of the liner comprises a drawstring around the upper margin of the liner.

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said closing means at the top of the liner comprises complemental plastic fasteners which may be pressed into liquid-tight engagement with each other by finger pressure,

each extending substantially halfway around the liner.

5. The receiver of claim 4, wherein the upper margin of the liner is reversely turned and secured to the inside of the liner for added strength, and

said plastic fasteners are heat sealed to the doublewall thickness at thetop to the liner. 

1. A collecting assembly for drainage from the body of a patient including a reuseable canister, a removable reuseable cover for airtight disposition on said canister, a tube extending through said cover for connection to a source of suction, a fitting opening through said cover for connection to the body of a patient, wherein the improvement comprises, a disposable liner of flexible material having a closed bottom and a fully open top when in use for receiving drainage, said liner establishing communication between the interior of the liner and the interior of the canister outside said liner whereby the vacua therein are countervailed and the liner is maintained in expanded condition thereby, the top of said liner extending above the inner end of said tube connecting to the source of suction, and closure means carried by said liner to close the open top of the liner after usage.
 2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the upper margin of the liner is folded downwardly over the upper rim of the canister beneath the cover therefor, and said liner having an opening in the wall thereof above the highest level to which the liner is filled with drainage to establish communication with the interior of the canister outside the liner for vacua countervailing.
 3. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the closing means for the top of the liner comprises a drawstring around the upper margin of the liner.
 4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein said closing means at the top of the liner comprises complemental plastic fasteners which may be pressed into liquid-tight engagement with each other by finger pressure, each extending substantially halfway around the liner.
 5. The receiver of claim 4, wherein the upper margin of the liner is reversely turned and secured to the inside of the liner for added strength, and said plastic fasteners are heat sealed to the double-wall thickness at the top to the liner. 